Frostbite In Florida
by Frosty the Bat
Summary: Frostbite is a girl with a dark past who has to help her best friend, Mullet Fingers, save the burrowing owls. Summary sucks, sorry. Has been adopted!
1. Frostbite aka Frosty

**Me: okay, this is my second story. i'm not gonna delete We Are Twolegs, all right? this is going to be based off the book/movie Hoot, which i finally watched the other day. i know, i know, i'm way behind the times, but i don't care. **

**Disclaimer: i do not own Hoot. if i did, mullet fingers would be tied up in my closet. lolol jk!**

Chapter One: Frosty

The mud made a weird squelching noise as it pushed in between my toes as I walked along the riverbed. A light breeze picked up but it didn't take away the heat of the Florida sun. The moss coated rocks at the bottom of the river were smooth from many years of being pushed around by the water, but my footing never faltered.

A manatee bobbed at the surface a few yards from me in the deeper part of the river, but it was just checking me out. No aggression what so ever. It's beady eyes watched my every move then it ducked back under the water to feed.

I picked up speed until I was racing through the clear water. The splashing sounds I made frightened a brightly colored bird from a tree, but I didn't slow to see what kind it was. My baggy tan shorts were beginning to get soaked at the bottoms from the water my feet kicked up, and the light green tanktop was starting to stick to my torso. I welcomed the cool moisture as it soaked my legs; it was getting hotter by the minute.

I had to be a strange sight for anybody's eyes: a teenage girl with shoulder-length, spiky, ink black hair, dark blue eyes, and pale skin just slightly on the tan side. She's wearing too big shorts, held up by a braid of rope, tight tank, and no shoes. Yep. Very strange.

But I was no ordinary girl going for a run in a Florida river; I was a girl on a mission.

Quickly switching course, I ran up a log that had fallen in a slant into the forest. I followed a trail, which was only visible to those who would actually stop and look, and headed toward my destination: Mother Paula's Pancake House construction site.

My legs were just starting to burn when I reached the site, and I narrowed my eyes at the trailer that sat in the middle of a fenced-in section of the area. As I quietly sucked in much needed air, I stooped down and walked cautiously toward the fence.

_Hoot._

"Hey, little guy." I peered through the fence at the tiny burrowing owl who had come to the surface to see its visitor. "Everything's going to be okay." I gripped the fence tightly for a couple moments, then pulled away forcefully, making the fence sway and ring. The door to the trailer swung open just as I had taken shelter under one of the bulldozers that were parked a couple meters away.

The balding man who resided in the trailer glared at the exact spot I had been in. "I know you're out there!" he called, coaxing me to come out of hiding. "There ain't nothing you can do to stop us from eating pancakes!"

_Pancakes? I'm trying to save my friends!_

I held my breath and waited until the man went back into the trailer before crawling out from under the bulldozer. I hesitated a couple moments then sprinted across the clearing as fast as my legs could carry me.

The man did not come out.

Relieved, I took off once again at a brisk jog. I skimming the side the town; I wanted to avoid as many people as possible. I headed toward the golf course, where my human friend lived, as least I hoped he still lived there.

Several men were playing a game when I got there. I ignored their shouts of anger as I race right past their golf cart and made a bee-line to the woods. I quickly slid in amongst the trees and slowed my pace so I wouldn't trip over any fallen limbs or fall into a puddle.

As I neared my friend's campsite, the rustling of a plastic bag stopped me in my tracks. Someone was in his hiding place, and it was not my friend; he would not deliberately make noise. I silently crept to the campsite and glared at the person who was snooping through my friend's belongings.

He was probably my age or my friend's and had short dark brown hair and light blue eyes. He was wearing khaki shorts and a red and blue striped shirt and sneakers. In his light tan hands was a cloth bag that was wriggling omenously.

I held my breath as he turned the bag upside-down and dumped out at least seven cottonmouths with glittery tails. The kid must have been too scared to notice that the snakes' mouths were taped shut, making them completely harmless.

"I wouldn't move if I were you," growled a low, menacing voice that I knew was fake. "On the count of three, step away."

The dark-haired kid froze, eyes wide with terror. "Are you kidding me?"

"One."

I silently willed the kid to move. _Don't make my friend angry._

"Two."

_Is this kid stupid or something?_

"Three."

The kid still didn't move.

"Three," the voice snarled, and my friend appeared from the foliage behind the kid to my right. He snatched the kid by his shoulders and yanked him away from the snakes. Being a little too forceful in my opinion, he tossed the kid to the ground, shoved the cloth bag over his head, and tied his hands behind his back.

"Who are you and why are you here?"

"I'm sorry. I'm not here to hastle you. My name is Roy."

My friend yanked the kid to his feet. "You had better get out of here, now ." He tugged him away from the campsite. "Let's go."

"Why do you have poisonous snake?"

"That's for me to know. So just leave me alone."

I followed, as silent as frost on a window, to the edge of the forest.

My friend pushed the boy in the direction of the golf course house. "Start walkin' and don't turn around until you've reach fifty."

As the kid took off, my friend vanished back into the trees.

"Don't you think you were being a little too harsh?" I called out, returning to the site a couple meters from my friend. "I mean, come on, Mullet Fingers, at least let the kid investigate."

The blond runaway halted in his tracks and slowly turned his head in my directions. "I thought you were long gone," he murmured.

I smirked, walked over to him, and threw an arm around his shoulders. "Nice greeting."

Mullet Fingers flashed a grin, revealing teeth almost identical to mine, bright white and even; the only difference was that my upper canines were longer than average. "You're such a pain." He shrugged off my arm and lead the way to his campsite. "How'd you find me?"

I sat on the log beside the dead campfire. "Oh, come on, Mullet, it's painfully obvious. You choose a spot that kept you hidden but close to the construction site so you could cause trouble."

The blonde settled beside me and watched the cottonmouths slither away. "They're going to kill the owls."

"I know." I brushed a leaf out of my hair. "Looks like you'll have to get more snakes." A cottonmouth creeped toward my feet, and I nudged it away with my right foot. "Go away," I hissed, willing it to leave me alone; after a couple seconds it decided I wasn't very tempting prey and moved on. "Who was that kid anyway?"

Mullet Fingers shrugged. "I don't know. He followed me the other day, but didn't get past the golf course." He chuckled softly. "I think a golfer got him."

"Eight-iron?"

"I think." He sighed and leaned against the tree behind us. "I'm guessing you've seen the owls?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I was just at the construction site. They are so beautiful; why would someone want to kill them?"

"Pancakes." Mullet Fingers answered all questions with a single word. "We don't have much time, Frosty."

"I know."


	2. Stars

**Me: i'm kinda trying to follow the movie, but i'm sorry if it doesn't go by it word-for-word. but i'm gonna try my best, so yeah.**

Chapter Two: Stars

I winced slightly as the cottonmouth curled up defensively in my lap. "I hate you," I growled at Mullet Fingers, trying my best to ignore the angered snake.

"Love you too, Frostbite." Mullet Fingers chuckled and passed me the tape. "You have to hold them by the back of the head and the end of the tail, or they'll try to hit you."

Forcing back a scowl, I did as I was told then shoved the newly reinforced snake into the cloth bag. "Hey, Mullet Fingers?"

"Yeah?"

"Since the grapevine is so thin nowadays, I heard something about someone putting alligators in the port-a-potties at the construction site." I turned to him and narrowed my eyes when he turned away guiltily. "That wouldn't have been you, would it?"

Mullet Fingers sighed. "I just want to save the owls." He looked at me, blue eyes shimmering with emotion. "They're an endangered species, so I need to protect them; they are 'part of Florida, just like you and me."

I echoed his sigh and kicked a stone away from me; it struck the bag and the snakes inside began to squirm. "I want to save them just as mush as you do, Mullet, but we're just two runaway kids. We can't do this alone." I lowered my gaze to the ground, draped my arms over my knees, and growled quietly.

"Beatrice cares for the owls as well, but she won't even try to stall the workers."

I heard him shift his wild blonde hair with his hand. "No one else will help?" Rolling my shoulders and hearing them pop, I sat up then leaned against Mullet Fingers' shoulder. I could feel him breathe softly, as if he were deep in thought, and murmured, "So what is the plan for tonight?"

Mullet Fingers shrugged the shoulder I wasn't on. "I was thinkin' 'bout spray-painting the trailer's windows or something like that."

"Hmm..." I closed my eyes and breathed through my nose. The wonderful scents of Florida overpowered my senses, and I sighed in happiness. _This place needs to be preserved,_ I thought with a mental sigh. _But it will take more than me and Mullet Fingers to do the job._ "Why won't Beatrice help?"

"Scared of getting caught."

I chuckled under my breath. "Why doesn't that suprise me?" I lightly pushed off Mullet Fingers' shoulder and sat up. I stretched my arms over my head and yawned. "Stars, I've been running all day."

"Now, why doesn't _that_ suprise me?" Mullet Fingers laughed heartedly, gently pressing him palm onto the middle of my back and pushing me forwards. "Take a quick nap, then get ready."

"Thanks, bah-dee."

(**Four Hours Later**)

The cans of spray paint clanged lightly against each other as Mullet Fingers raced through the forest to the construction site. I was right on his heel, my near entire arsenal of mischief-making items in a black bag on my back. Our footsteps were silent because this path was very familiar to us; the only sounds we made were the cans and the gentle thudding of the bag against my back.

We shot through the trees at full speed. When the path widened, I increased my speed until I was running side by side with Mullet Fingers, our arms brushing as we ran. I didn't know exactly what we were doing, but I knew that Mullet Fingers had a plan.

"So what are we going to do?" I whispered, not taking my eyes off the winding path.

"I'm not sure yet," he answered.

_So much for having a plan._

As we neared the site, we slowed our pace until we came to an abrupt stop at the edge of the area. Everything was quiet, and the only lights on were in the trailer. No chance of painting those windows.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed something white sitting at the edge of the clearing partically hidden in the shadows. With closer inspection I recognized a Coconut Cove police cruser. "Hey."

"What?" Mullet Fingers shifted in the dark beside me.

"Police cruser," I muttered, pointing at the car. "Looks like the cop is dead."

Mullet Fingers didn't say anything but began to stalk toward the car. I followed closely, glancing at the trailer every few seconds, and the fear of getting caught gripped my body. My legs locked and I stood perfectly still, too afraid to move. The blood pounding in my ears blocked out all other sound, except for my own breathing, which was getting harsher with each moment. I locked my vision on the trailer door, imagining the man coming out, catching us in the act, and dragging us to the police department where we will be seperated. I didn't want to get caught and knew that if I stayed still any longer I would be, but I couldn't move.

"Frostbite." Mullet Fingers appeared in my very small field of vision. "Hey. Snap out of it." He waved a hand in front of my face, and I blinked. "You all right?"

I shook my head energetically. "We're gonna get caught. We're gonna get caught!"

Mullet Fingers put the bag on the ground and grabbed my shoulders in a gentle, but strong grip. "Hey, Frosty, calm down. We're not gonna get caught, okay?" He drew closer until his face was barely three inches from my own. "Just breathe. We're gonna be okay."

I slowed my breathing until it was at regular speed and blinked a few times. "I just... I just don't want to get caught."

My friend flashed a smile that glowed in the darkness. "Do you trust me, Frosty?"

"Y-Yeah."

"Then we won't get caught." He released his grip on me and picked up the bag. "Come on." Mullet Fingers draped an arm across my shoulders and guided me to the cop car.

When we reached it, Mullet Fingers left me for a couple seconds to check on the officer inside it. He returned, a grin present on his face. "You were right; he's asleep."

I nodded, finally getting a grip on my terror, and held a hand out. Mullet Fingers dug a hand into the bag, pulled out a can of black spray paint, and gave it to me. I shook it and winced as the ball inside the can banged against the top and bottom. I waited for Mullet Fingers to grab a can then we tiptoed to the car.

"You get this side and the back window," Mullet Fingers whispered in my ear. "I'll get the other side and the front." He paused then added, "Be careful, Frostbite."

"'Kay." Being as quiet as frost, I edged closer to the car and raised the can. I pushed down the nossle and started working...

Once we were done we headed back to the golf course; by now everyone was gone. The sky was an indigo with millions of tiny dots imprinted on it. The moon was as thin as a willow branch and let off a dull light, giving the course a ghostly appearance. We walked side by side across the close cut green grass to the forest. The silence was deafening, but it was not uncomfortable; we were just thinking about the trick we had just pulled.

"Spray painting the cop car is not going to stop them," I murmured, breaking the silence. "It may stall them, but it won't stop them." I heard Mullet Fingers sigh heavily and knew I had burst his bubble.

"I know, but at least we bought some time. Now we can think of something even better."

I stopped in my tracks and turned my gaze upwards at the thin moon. "You'll never back down, will you, Mullet Fingers?" I heard him take a deep breath as if he were about to speak, but I cut him off, "Neither will I, and you know that." I shoved my hands in the front pockets of my jeans and threw a hasty glance behind us. No one was behind us, but I wasn't all the way convinced.

"You know, Frost, I'm thinking about using those snakes."

Rolling my eyes, I switched my gaze from the moon to my best friend; he was staring off in the distance, a look of deep thought on his face. "We need to think out a plan," I said after a short pause. "'Cause tonight, ah, you really didn't have one. Painting the windows of the cop car was just a spur of the moment move."

"I know," Mullet Fingers answered with a laugh. "Gosh, you're startin' to sound like my sister." He nudged me with his elbow and smiled.

"I'm taking that as an insult."

My blonde friend's laughter filled the night air. "Don't worry. At least you don't look like her."

I ran my fingers through my pitch black hair and blinked. "Thank goodness." I tugged on a couple strands of my bangs, released them and smiled. "I like my black hair."

"Do you have a place to stay tonight?"

"No, and not for tomorrow night or the night after that or the night after that and beyond." Sighing, I looked my bare feet, paler than normal against the dark grass. I felt Mullet Fingers' hand touch my shoulder and glanced up at him.

"You can stay with me," he said.

"Thanks, Mullet Fingers."

His smile widened. "Ya know I would do anything for my best friend."

I scoffed at him. "I'm your only friend, idiot."

Mullet Fingers laughed as he lead the way to his campsite.


	3. One Day Vacation

**Me: i don't own Hoot. let the story begin.**

Chapter Three: One Day Vacation

The sun was well beyond the horizon when my brain finally decided to wake my body up. I blinked in the dull green light the forest seemed to create and yawned into my pillow.

_I hate Mondays...or Tuesdays..._

Closing my eyes, I nuzzled my warm pillow, which happened to be Mullet Fingers' back. Last night we had fallen asleep beside each other, and I must have rollen over to rest on him. He was comfortable, there's no doubt about that. His breathing was calming, especially when the golfers began to yell at each other about what club to use and where their ball had gone. Maybe Mullet Fingers and I should go out and steal all the balls and toss them in the lake. I smiled slightly into my friend's back.

"Stop it," Mullet Fingers grumbled, shifting under my small weight. "That tickles."

I chuckled silently then reached out to ruffle his blonde hair. "Tough love, Mullet." I slid my fingers through his tangled hair, working out kinks with my blunt nails and untangling the ends. "When I'm not here, who takes care of you?"

"Myself," he answered in a 'let me sleep more' voice. "Beatrice looks after me occasionally, but that's it." He sighed and started to shift more.

I rolled off him as he propped himself up on his elbow. I sat up and help up my torso by planting my palms into the ground behind me. Dust and leaf debris littered my shorts and tanktop, and I didn't mind; it could have been something worse, like mud or dead things. I breathed deeply to prevent my mouth from splitting apart in a wide yawn.

Mullet Fingers rose to his feet and stretched, making his shirt ride up and flash his flat stomach. He yawned as he lowered his arms, popped his knuckles, and extended a hand to help me up. "We're gonna go for a drive."

Smirking, I accepted his hand and allowed him to pull me to my feet. "And where are we going, my dearest friend?'

He smiled. "Just come on."

Once we had changed and did our morning things, we exited the forest opposite the side of the golf course that faced the ocean. We chatted idly as we walked toward the Coconut Cove boat ramps; since neither of us had a car, we were going for a drive in a boat. We didn't see anything strange when we raced through the town, avoiding people and trying to become invisible to the naked eye, except for one thing: a three-wheeled cop car about the size of a port-a-potty. It took all I had not to burst out laughing at the sight, which would have been good for my system, especially after Mullet Fingers told me he had left again in the night to pull up the stakes at the site; he had left me, and I wasn't happy about it.

I slowed down until I was half a pace behind him. Frostbite the rebel wild child. I followed him to the dock where he kept his small metal boat and hopped into it before Mullet Fingers. As soon as he was in the boat with me, I turned away from him.

The boat vibrated softly below me when Mullet Fingers started the engine and rocked when he pushed us away from the dock. Mullet Fingers sat beside me on the wooden seat and steered the boat away from the dock into the cove.

"You okay, Frost?"

I grumbled under my breath, slouched my shoulders, and looked out over the blue water.

"Look, I'm sorry I left you behind," Mullet Fingers said with a sigh, "but you were tired. You can't deny that." He leaned over and brushed his shoulder against mine. His voice was soothing to my anger, and I felt myself lean against his side fully.

"I forgive you," I murmured then suddenly pulled away. "But just this once."

Mullet Fingers laughed loudly at my change of mood. "You are so weird, Frostbite."

I sighed loudly; a dramatic effect. "You know you love me."

"A little too much." Mullet Fingers turned the boat toward the river that flowed through the forest and ended at the ocean.

A comforting silence enveloped us as we floated down the river. No words could express the beauty of the forest around us or the atmosphere that calmed all terrible emotions and filled the air with a very noticable ease.

Birds of various colors and sizes were sitting on trees hanging over the river and took off in a blur of color when we neared them. Several small reddish-brown deer poked their heads out of the trees to check us out and dipped down to get a drink when they realized we were not a threat. A medium-sized alligator swam up beside the boat and nudged it with his nose, but that's all it did. The water was clear enough I could easily see the bottom and the tiny fish that swam near it.

Mullet Fingers pointed out a group of mullet, leaned over the edge of the boat, and caught one. He sat up straight and held the fish out for me to see.

"I'll never stop amusing me." I reached out and stroked the shiny fish that struggled in Mullet Fingers' grip, flicking its tail every few seconds. I smiled as Mullet Fingers placed his hand in the water and released the small fish.

"Swim fast, little buddy," he called after the mullet.

I chuckled softly at the wild blonde. "You're crazy, Mullet."

The blonde smiled. "Yeah, I know. My sister reminds me everytime I see her."

A sigh escaped from my lips, and I couldn't help but allow my smile to widen.

_The wild children of Florida._

(**One Hour Later**)

"I thought you left the state, Frostbite. What are you doing back?"

"That's a nice welcome, Beatrice."

The tension in the air grew so thick someone could cut it with a dull spoon. I was standing on one side of the campfire, hands clenched into fists, and eyes narrowed. Beatrice, Mullet Fingers' step-sister, was in an almost identical positioon except her arms were crossed over her chest.

"Why couldn't you stay away, huh?" Beatrice demanded. "Did you come back just to hassle my brother?"

"Why would I hassle your brother?" I growled, uncurling and recurling my fists. "He's the only friend I have in the whole effin' world! I came back because I heard that they were going to put a Mother Paula's House on the burrowing owls' ground." I blinked slowly, so I could try to contain my anger.

Beatrice wasn't convinced. "Leave my brother alone!"

I glowered at the impulsive blonde. _How can Mullet Fingers put up with her?!_

"Hey! What's going on?" Mullet Fingers appeared from the forest beside me. "Is everything okay?"

A flash of sadness shot through my body; I knew I couldn't stick around, especially when Beatrice 'the Bear' was going to be so protective of her nature boy brother. I lowered my anger barrier and took a step back.

Mullet Fingers was suddenly in between me and Beatrice. "What's wrong?"

I took another step back. "I-I've got to go, Mullet Fingers."

He turned his blue eyes to me. "Go where?"

_I can't do this._

Without a backwards glance, I turned on my heel and shot out of the campsite. I could hear Mullet Fingers behind me, calling my name and running through the forest after me, but I pressed on. I lengthened my stride, gained speed, and easily got away from my ex-friend.

"Frostbite!"


	4. A Little OCC

**Me: i don't own Hoot. If you like this story, check out my other story, We Are Twolegs in the Warriors section. from what i see it seems to be a very good story. and thank you for reviewing this one, people. i'll send you cupcakes of your choice. here is the long awaited chapter! and sorry its kinda short! long day... oh, and demyx says hi!**

**Chapter Four**

I finally ceased my running when I reached the river on the opposite side of the forests of the construction site. My legs were burning and my skin was coated in a thin layer of sweat. Exhausted, I settled down on a fallen log laying across the width of the river. I couldn't take it; the look in Beatrice's eyes when she saw me. It hurt very, very much.

_Idiot. How can you let Beatrice get to you?!_

I hissed under my breath and dipped my toes in the water below. A shiver of hatred shifted my spine.

_Why am I so afraid?_

Curling up and drawing it back, I slammed my fist down on the tree, splintering the wood and cutting my hand. I could feel chips shove themselves into my skin, but I ignored the pain. The deep throbbing in my broken heart was too great.

_I can't stay here. But I can't leave the owls to be buried alive. What the hell am I gonna do?_

I sighed, shoved myself off the log and headed back to Coconut Cove. My feet were near bleeding once I reached the town and I went to the nearest convience store to get some snacks for breakfast.

The bell made a cute little _ding_ (**insert pixie dust**) when I pushed open the door. The smell of spilt soda and burnt pizza met my nose, and it took all my strength not to cringe. The cashier, a girl of early twenty wearing too much making up and chomping on bubble gum, was staring at me as if I were a bug of some sort and was deciding whether she should squish me or not. (**that actually happened to me once. b*tch wouldn't stop staring at me!**) I shot her a look that announced _I am a rabid squirrel and I want my cookies!_

I slid into the aisles until I found my treasure: Oreo Cookies! (**available six in one pack!**)I snatched two packs off the shelf and went to the counter.

"Is that all?" the woman drawled in a bored tone.

"I believe so," I muttered, narrowing me eyes as she eyed me up and down. "You got a problem?"

She smiled, revealing teeth that I knew were bleached with household products. "It's a shame you have to buy cookies when you can't buy respectable clothes."

My eyes widened for a second then relaxed. "Well, it's a shame you have to wear so much make-up it scares away the clienteil." I felt a smirk plant itself on my face as the cashier's mouth puckered and she rang up my items.

"Two sixty-eight."

I reached into one of the pockets of my shorts and easily slid a five dollar bill out. I handed it over and the woman gave me my change. "Thank you," I said in a overly-cheerful voice and a fake smile. I fought back laughter as she tried, keyword TRIED, to smile back. I swiped the cookies off the counter and left the store without another word.

As soon as I stepped back into the sunlight my cookies left my hand.

"Hey!"

"Thanks for the cooks, cookie dough."

Whipping around, I came face to face with a bohemith (**sp?**) of a kid wearing baggy pants, which were probably falling off his butt, and a rather tight neon green shirt. His skin was bright red as if he was hanging out in the sun too much. In one of his beefy hand were my cookies, possibly smooshed to oblivion.

"Yo! I didn't buy those for you! Hand'em over!"

His smiled; I almost threw up. "Now, why would I give you _my_ cookies, doll?" He gestured to my body with his other hand. "You don't need them if you want to keep that very, very sexy figure."

My mouth dropped open halfway and was lopsided, like an open-mouth smirk. "Excuse me?!"

He smiled wider. "I'm sorry. You're right; sexy does not even begin to cover-"

His words were cut off by my fist in his shomach. I withdrew my fist as he doubled-over and blasted me with breath that smelled like a rotting roadkill. I swallowed the bile that was rising in my throat. Taking the chance, I snatched my cookies from his weakened grasp and took off running.

(**Thirty Minutes Later**)

I was sitting on the dock that was closest to the ocean looking out over the big blue puddle, cookies long gone. I had bandaged my hand, which had began to promptly bleed about fifteen minutes ago. My feet were dangled over the edge and my toes barely skimmed the water when I swung my feet.

Brushing the cookie crumbs off my shorts, I hastily rose to my feet and stared at the ocean. I spotted a small group of dolphins shooting out of the water several hundred yards from the shore. Unconsciously I wondered what it would be like to live with the dolphins; I'd never be alone, always had someone by my side, had plenty of food and water, and could sleep wherever I wanted.

Have friends by your side no matter what.

I brushed a tear away from my face and sighed softly.

Soft footfalls behind me caught my attention for a moment, but I continued to watched the big puddle. I was shocked into alertness when an arm wrapped itself around my waist and its partner snaked right under my chest.

"Why did you run?"

I almost smiled at the familiar voice. It was him, my dolphin, my friend. "I had to."

"No you didn't." Warm breath caressed the skin when my neck fused with the rest of my body. "You could have stayed." Soft, plushy lips rested against the base of my neck. "I wouldn't have let her do anything to you." Another gentle kiss on a bare part of my shoulder. "You know that."

_What is he on?_ _I have _never_ seen this side of him before._ "What have you been smoking?"

He laughed quietly, his warm breath cascading onto and over my shoulder. "Nothing." The hand that was closer to my jeans lifted my tank up a couple inches and gently stroked the bare skin. "You're warm," he commented, rubbing my sensitive skin with his fingertips.

"Hmm...." I leaned into his touch, my back resting agaisnt his chest, and reached a hand back to bury it in his blonde hair. "Where's your sister?" My fingers wove into his blonde locks, tugging playfully, and I leaned my head on his shoulder. I lifted my chin and placed my lips on the underpart of his jaw.

"Not here," he whispered in my ear.

I closed my eyes.

"I'm sorry."


	5. A Kiss to Seal the Deal

**I promise that the chapters to this story will be coming out a lot more often. I am soooo sorry to keep you faithful readers hanging. I'll try not to do that again, but no promises. I also have several other stories; if you like this then check out the others.**

**************

"There's no reason to be sorry," Mullet Fingers whispered softly then gently touched his lips to my cheek; a feather-like touch that left my heart racing.

A miniature smile twitched at the corners of my mouth. "Yes, there is," I argued in a hushed tone. "I'm sorry for running away and leaving you to deal with the wrath of your sister." I was startled when my blonde friend chuckled deep in his throat. "What's so funny?"

"Do you honestly think I listen to my sister when she yells at me?"

I shook my head. "No." That was a stupid explaination for feeling sorry for myself; maybe I should have said something along the lines of '_I'm leaving Florida again... I hope you save the owls.' _or _'Don't follow me! I'm going far away!'_ I mentally shook my head. I can't leave Mullet Fingers, now that the owls are in danger and I have finally returned to the one place I truly belonged.

"I have a mission tonight." Mullet Fingers' voice jolted my mind free from my thoughts of leaving my friends, again. "But you're not going."

"What?" I disentangled myself from Mullet Fingers' warm grasp and turned on my heel to stare at him with wide eyes. "Why not?" I demanded, crossing my arms over my chest.

Mullet Fingers sighed heavily and looked me dead in the eye; his own blue orbs were sparkling with mischief, yet glazed with the torture of leaving his friend behind. "I don't want you to get hurt," he murmured in a voice I had to strain my ears to hear. "Some guy brought a couple dogs to guard the construction site. I'm going to take the snakes and try to scary the mutts away with them." He rubbed his shoulder guiltily. "I just don't want you to get bit or something, so I'm asking you to please, please stay away from the site tonight."

I heaved a soft sigh, shaking my head a little. "You know I can't let you do this alone."

"Come on , Frostbite, please, for me?" He blinked then closed the gap between us once again to envelop me in a warm and loving embrace. Burying his face in my hair, he mumbled, "I can't let anything happen to you."

My arms hung uselessly at my sides because I did not return the hug. Instead, I stood there as if I had been petrified. My emotions were in an uproar: anger for him not allowing me to go, fear for what could happen to him and the owls, and joyfulness that he was thinking of my safety. "What about you?" I asked. "Do you promise to be safe?"

"I'll try to be," he promised.

**********

_Gotta kill time. Gotta kill time. Gotta kill ti- Mullet Fingers had better be careful. Gotta kill time. Gotta kill time._

I growled darkly at myself.

_Gotta stop thinking about killing time._

Coconut Cove was quiet, apart from a few dogs barking when I dashed past their yards and cars traveling along the streets. A gentle breeze stirred the leaves of the palms, and I could hear the steady beating of the waves slamming onto the shore. The sky was a deep purple-blue, signaling the death of the sun for the day. No clouds cluttered the horizon, but I knew that this peaceful evening held a dark secret, as if it were planning to help something else hurt a creature that was living and breathing on this earth.

I shivered and tugged the black jacket Mullet had given me closer to my body, wishing I had worn my jeans instead of a pair of short blue jean shorts. My barefeet were not cold because I had spent so long running around without shoes on that I was immune to cold in the lowest story of my body.

"Hey!"

My body froze in mid stride, and it took all my balance not to fall over onto my face.

"Frostbite!"

I turned my head slowly, catching sight of the kid I saw a few days ago heading straight toward me. Knowing how naive he was, I twisted the rest of my body around to face him. "Don't you know better than to yell someone's name on such a quiet night?" I scolded once he was in a decent hearing range.

"Sorry," he said, running a hand through his brown hair. "Have you seen Mullet Fingers?"

"He said he had a mission."

"He's at the construction site, isn't he?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "He didn't really tell me where he was going," I lied; I wasn't going to give this hide-out snooping punk much information about my best friend. "All he said was that he was on a mission."

"Aren't you afraid he might get hurt, Frostbite?" The kid's blue-green eyes were filled with worry, so obviously he had met my friend before, without a bag over his head. He began to fiddle with the bottom of his blue striped T-shirt as he waited for my answer.

"Of course I am," I snapped. "I'm his best friend." I eyed him as suspicion flared inside me. "And how the hell do you know my name?"

"Beatrice," was his simple answer. "She said that you were trying to provoke Mullet Fingers into leaving again and to stay away from you."

I curled my lips in the beginnings of a snarl. "That's a lie! I would never hassle Mullet; his my only friend in the entire world. He took me in when no one else would, and that's only because I'm a wild child runaway just like him." My hands balled themselves into tight fists and I ignored the pain as my fingernails dug into my palm. "Whatever Beatrice says about me is totally wrong. Who are you anyway?"

The boy stuck out his hand. "I'm Roy Eberhart. I just moved here about a week ago."

With somewhat great reluctance, I shook his hand. "Nice to meet you." I glanced at the sky when he released my hand and noticed that the sun had completely gone down. "I need to go."

"Do you have someplace to stay tonight?"

"I stay with Mullet Fingers," I replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

"But you don't know when he's going to get home," Roy argued. "You can stay at my place, just for tonight, if you like."

"Thanks, but no thanks." A pang of regret struck my heart when I saw the sadness in his ocean orbs. This guy was caring enough to offer a stray girl shelter for the night so she didn't have to sleep under a porch, which was just what she was intending to do. "I guess it'll be okay," I muttered, "but just for this one night."

Roy immediately brightened up and nodded enthusiastically. "Come on. My house is this way."

**********

_Roy,_

_Thanks a bunch for letting me stay at your house. I swear that was the softest floor I have ever slept on. Sorry I wasn't here when you got up, but I had to get back to the blonde nature boy. Hopefulyl he hadn't received a bite or something..._

_Later,_

_Frostbite_

_P.S._

_I wrote this at six in the morning. Teehee...._

**********

"How could you get bit?"

"My arm got stuck."

"That looks so infected." I held his arm up by the wrist and examined the bitten flesh closer. The skin was a nasty yellowish-green color with two puncture holes about two to three inches apart. The area outside of the yellow-green was a deep shade of red that was pulsing with heat. "Oh, Mullet..."

The blonde hissed when I gently stroked a finger down the infected area and tried to shift away from me. "Please...don't touch it."

"Sorry," I whispered then set his arm down on the bed. "Only you, Mullet Fingers, could try to save the owls and get the hell bit out of you by a dog." There was no humor in my voice, only pure seriousness.

"Lecture me later."

"Nope. I'm leaving that to your sister."

Mullet Fingers shivered; I couldn't tell if it was from the wrath of his deranged sister or the bite. He moved his arm closer to his body and gave a small cry when it grazed the sheets. "It hurts, Frost," he whimpered, nearly shattering my heart.

Murmuring apologies even though it wasn't my fault he got bit, I scrambled over his legs to reach the other side of the bed. I lowered myself beside him and rested my head on the pillow beside him. "I know it hurts, Mullet, but you have to deal with it." I had never experienced something like this before, so, naturally, I had no clue as to what to do in a situation like this. Usually if I had a major cut or something similar, I would wrap a piece of shredded cloth around it. But that was not going to work for my friend; I didn't want to cause him more pain than he was already in.

"If I knew dogs bit that hard, I swear I would not have done that," he mumbled, his words accented with sharp intakes of breath.

"Hush," I chided gently. I rested a hand on Mullet Fingers' bare chest and watched as he slowly turned his head to face me. "You're going to be okay."

"It doesn't feel like it."

I hushed him again then scooted closer to share my body heat. I may not know what to do with the sore, but I had enough sense to know that the wound was sucking all his body heat toward it, leaving him chilled and feverish. Mullet Fingers shivered, and I reached my arm all the way across his chest.

"Thank you, Frost."

I blinked slowly. "For what?"

"Being here for me." His beautiful blue eyes twinkled with gratefulness, and he forced a smile, which ended up as a wince. "Ouch."

"Sh...." Leaning forward slightly, I gently pressed my lips against his in a small but tender kiss. "Please get better," I murmured when I drew away.

"I'll try." Mullet Fingers managed a miniscule but real smile. "Come here." He reached out with his uninjured arm and buried his hand in my still sleep-tangled hair. Delicately, he pushed my head down onto his chest then lowered his arm to wrap around my thin shoulders. "Just lay here with me."

"I think I can manage that," I joked quietly, brushing my lips against his sun-kissed chest. "You're cold."

"And you're warm," he stated. "Why else do you think I'm allowing you to lay on me?"

"You'd allow me to lay on you even if you didn't wanted me to." I lifted my head off his chest and smiled at him. "You just like me being near you," I accused.

"Guilty."

I lowered my lips onto his again, but this time leaving them there for a good ten seconds. I closed my eyes and sighed softly as Mullet Fingers ran his hand up and down my back. When I opened my eyes again, I noticed that my friend's eyes had widened a little but a smile was evident. "Shut up."

He chuckled lightly. "You're the one who kissed me, but..." He lifted his head off the pillow and resumed our kiss. I breathed in his musky, foresty scent as our lips moved perfectly against one anothers; it was almost as if we were fated to have this moment. Breaking away momentarily, I reached down and snatched up the quilt he had shoved to the foot of the bed then tugged it up and over our bodies.

"We can't have you freezing, can we?"

"Mm..." Mullet Fingers' eyes closed and he tilted his head back as a groan spilled out from between his lips. "It hurts!" His eyes rolled until only the whites were showing then finally closed as he passed out.

"It's okay," I whispered to his unconscious face. "At least in sleep you can't feel pain." I lowered my head onto his shoulder and planted a kiss on his neck, where his pulse was thudding against his skin. "I'll be right here when you wake up. Promise."


End file.
